Open Forum: In Gilroy and beyond, unchallenged racism contributes to violence

The attack that killed three and injured 12 at the Gilroy Garlic Festival last month was yet another example of a premeditated mass shooting with links to racism. Though authorities have said the motive for the attack remains unclear, the 19-year old Gilroy native identified as the perpetrator is believed to have promoted a white supremacist text on social media shortly before the shooting.

While we cannot reclaim the lives that were lost, it is critical that we clearly identify the dangerous relationship between white supremacy and gun violence in the United States.

Growing up in Gilroy, I saw racist ideas condoned rather than challenged. I attended Christopher High School, where I recall a heated classroom discussion about police shootings and the Black Lives Matter movement being quickly abandoned with arguments on both sides validated. Those who believed victims of police shootings deserved their fates walked away with that belief reinforced by their peers.

Encouraging such conversations in schools without guiding them is a mistake. Beliefs rooted in white supremacy cannot be treated as mere differences of opinion, and opposition to racism should not be considered a political stance, but rather an established, nonpartisan standard. Schools and other educational institutions need to be explicitly and unapologetically anti-racist.

I also saw teachers promote racist views in our classrooms. One educator criticized every state-curriculum-mandated Chicano literature piece, dismissing Sandra Cisneros’ account of her experiences as a young Latina, for example, as “whiny.” Another discussed personal experiences with “reverse racism” and dismissed any student who dared to challenge such views.

We need to equip teachers with the knowledge and resources necessary to reform racist beliefs. Nor can we allow bigoted educators to lead captive audiences of impressionable minds for 180 days a year. While I had to unlearn the racism I encountered as a student, the impact on me was minimal compared with the likely effect on my peers of color.

The shooter attended Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville and then graduated from Gilroy High School, where his classroom experiences were likely comparable to mine. Gilroy’s schools are not unique, however. Public and private educational institutions excuse racism in a variety of ways, and their indifference is helping to produce young white supremacists who believe they are entitled to kill.

We must channel the anger, frustration and sadness of this tragedy into meaningful change, and educators and people of color should not have to bear this responsibility alone. Many of us interact with young people as caregivers, mentors or peers, and we must hold ourselves accountable for actively promoting anti-racist values. We must take pride in this obligation and embrace it in all our relationships and conversations. We all need to be committed to change.

I am proud to be from Gilroy. I am grateful to the community and the educators who shaped me and invested in me in many ways. But I want better for Gilroy, and I want better for the youth of the United States.

Bridget Brown is a proud Gilroyan who served as the 2015 Gilroy Garlic Festival queen and is a recent UCLA graduate with a degree in political science.